The present disclosure relates to an image pickup apparatus, an image pickup method, and a program. Specifically, the present disclosure relates to an image pickup apparatus, an image pickup method, and a program capable of removing a polarization component appropriately even if an image-pickup posture is changed, and capable of taking an image from which a polarization component is removed appropriately.
In the past, there is used the following technology, to which a technology of extracting a polarization component is applied. A polarization filter is mechanically inserted in/removed from an optical path of a camera manually or automatically. The polarization filter is configured to absorb or reflect a polarization component to be removed. As a result, a desired polarization component is extracted. A taken image includes the extracted desired polarization component.
Further, the following technology is also used. That is, a physical polarizer is provided. A polarizer is rotated electrically in order to take an image including orthogonal polarization components.
However, according to the technology of extracting a polarization component mechanically by inserting/removing a polarization filter or by rotating a polarizer, the size of the apparatus structure is increased. In view of this, there is proposed a technology of extracting a polarization component electrically.
There is proposed the following technology, to which a technology of electrically extracting a polarization component is applied. That is, a polarization control device uses a GH (Guest-Host) liquid crystal (also referred to as dichroism liquid crystal). The GH liquid crystal only absorbs a predetermined polarization component. The polarization control device controls transmittance. As a result, an unpolarized natural light is modulated, and an image is taken (see Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2005-173493). In the polarization control device, two GH liquid crystal layers are arranged as follows. That is, a polarization axis of one polarization component is orthogonal to a polarization axis of the other polarization component. The two GH liquid crystals are turned on/off alternately. As a result, the image pickup device transmits only one polarization component out of the light, which enters the image pickup device from the outside-light incident side.
Further, there is also proposed the following technology employing the GH liquid crystal. That is, one GH liquid crystal layer functions as a CF (Color Filter) of one polarization component. As a result, a ND (Neutral Density) filter and a device configured to detect arbitrary polarization are realized (see Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. H05-048060).